Section 2: TxDOT Bridge Inspection Personnel

The following subsections briefly describe each TxDOT job position. TxDOT bridge inspection personnel must have the appropriate job classification, experience, and training.

Bridge Inspection Program Manager

This person heads the Bridge Inspection Branch of the Bridge Division. Under the general direction of the Director of the Bridge Division, the position has statewide responsibility for Texas bridge inspection operations.
All the bridge inspection activities for Texas are under the general oversight of this position and includes major items such as:
  • Oversee and maintain the Bridge Inspection Program in the Bridge Division and assist districts with bridge inspection-related matters.
  • Coordinate NSTM, underwater, and routine bridge inspection programs for on-system and off-system structures.
  • Develop standards in conjunction with TxDOT divisions and districts and the Federal Highway Administration to ensure compliance with the National Bridge Inspection Standards.
  • Perform, review, and monitor detailed investigations, data collection, analyses, and coordination of bridge related research, and recommend cost effective project level design for new, rehabilitated, and reconstructed bridges.
  • Prepare, evaluate, and perform final reviews of contracts with consultants for routine, NSTM, and underwater inspections of bridges.
  • Monitor consultants' progress and work quality; check invoices and associated documents; prepare supplemental agreements.
  • Schedule, assign, and oversee bridge inspection activities.
  • Oversee and perform bridge structural evaluations/analyses of structures; advise or assist when bridges that have low appraisal and condition ratings, or are recommended for closure.
  • Determine and monitor the load carrying capacities of bridges.
  • Maintain a list of bridges with critical findings and coordinate with other Bridge Division staff, area engineers, and other district staff on such findings involving statemaintained bridges to have them posted for load, repaired, or closed.
  • Recommend replacement, rehabilitation or repair of damaged bridges and coordinate with local officials on critical findings involving structures not under state jurisdiction, to have them posted for load, repaired, or closed.
  • Perform inspections on large, unusual, or complex structures as requested, including in response to emergencies.
  • Recommend prioritization of bridge replacement, bridge rehabilitation, and repair of damaged bridges.
  • Review contract development and related documents for execution.
  • Oversee the processing and review of the consultant selection process, contracts, and related documents.
  • Interpret laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to professional services contracting to ensure compliance with department and governmental regulations.
  • Chair or serve as a member of a contract selection team.
  • Negotiate fees and budgets; develop and negotiate scopes of work; negotiate contract work schedules; and negotiate other contract agreements.
  • Monitor contract performance; evaluate contract deliverables; review billing documentation; monitor consultants’ compliance with contract terms; and prepare and deliver a written evaluation of consultants’ performance.
  • Serve as a project manager overseeing consultants performing advanced and complex engineering work.
  • Develop and maintain a joint written agreement listing responsibilities of each entity including the designated Lead State reporting National Bridge Inspection data for each bridge that crosses a border between a State transportation department, Federal agency, or Tribal government jurisdiction.
  • Maintain a registry of nationally certified bridge inspectors that are performing the duties of a Qualified Team Leader (Certified Bridge Inspector).
  • Maintain a list of bridges with reduced or extended inspection intervals.
  • Maintain a list of scour critical bridges and bridges with unknown foundations that require scour plans of action.

District Bridge Engineer

The District Bridge Engineer has the direct responsibility for the Bridge Inspection Program (BIP) in a district. The district bridge engineer may not be as involved in the day-to-day operations of a district’s BIP as would the Bridge Inspection Coordinator, but they act to ensure accuracy and effectiveness of the BIP within their district.
Depending on how each district is structured, there will be variation in how the following duties are carried out. However, the District Bridge Engineer, in regard to the district’s BIP, is responsible for:
  • Reviewing load ratings as part of the required Quality Control process for bridge inspections (for On- and Off-System)
  • Reviewing the recommended load postings to ensure accuracy in both the recommendations as well as the ordering of the signs (for On- and Off-System)
  • Performing load ratings and determining load postings for bridges (for On- and OffSystem)
  • As needed, leading the Damage, Inventory, Emergency, and Reduced Frequency inspections in the district as a Qualified Team Leader
  • Acting as the Engineer-of-Record for inspection reports performed by other bridge inspection staff in a district (if they are not Engineers)
  • Tracking and managing bridge repair and maintenance, including Critical Findings, ensuring the follow-through of items to completion
  • As needed, liaising with local officials for the load posting or closing of bridges, bridge repairs, replacements, etc.
  • Managing the scour evaluation or analysis needs, scour documentation, and follow-up of the scour plans of action
  • Reviewing and/or approving bridge inspection invoicing by consultants
  • Coordinating traffic control for District, Consultant, and Bridge Division inspections
  • Manage continual quality control of the district’s bridge inspection data in AssetWise, TxDOT’s Bridge Inspection Management System
  • Managing or coordinate the work of the district’s Bridge Maintenance Crew
  • Facilitating the training of Maintenance Sections in the performance of off-cycle bridge maintenance inspections and inputting of results into AssetWise (or ensure this is carried out by the district Maintenance Bridge Inspection Tracking System (MBITS) Coordinator)
  • Facilitating appropriate measures for bridge projects with environmental issues (lead, asbestos, etc.)
  • Reviewing and coordinating the attachments of utilities, stream gauges, etc., to bridges
  • Coordinating the maintenance of vertical clearance measurements and signs
  • Conducting Bridge Condition Surveys
  • Ensuring all qualifying candidate bridges are submitted to Bridge Division for rehab, widening, replacement, etc.

Qualified Team Leaders - District Bridge Inspection Coordinators (BICs) or Bridge Inspection Specialists in a District or Division

The TxDOT personnel assigned to these positions are directly responsible for bridge inspection operations within Bridge Division or a district. Under general guidance from the Bridge Inspection Program Manager, the District Bridge Engineer, or from the District Engineer, they perform a variety of tasks. If the individual filling the District Bridge Inspection Coordinator position is not an engineer, then they must meet the minimum requirements of a Bridge Inspection Specialist.
Some of the major bridge inspection responsibilities and duties of these positions include:
  • Implement and monitor the bridge inspection program in a district
  • Maintain and review files which indicate the condition of the bridge inventory and document compliance with bridge inspection policies
  • Inspect and appraise bridge structures according to the FHWA Bridge Inspector’s Reference Manual and the TxDOT Bridge Inspection Manual.
  • Coordinate the bridge load posting program in the district
  • Conduct immediate inspection of damaged bridges, determine necessity of temporary or permanent repairs, and notify maintenance personnel of these findings; make recommendations to close bridges when appropriate
  • Prepare and implement a Bridge Maintenance Program for a district
  • Review bridge inspection follow-up action items and give instructions for recommended actions
  • Monitor follow-up actions taken by TxDOT maintenance forces.
  • Work with local government officials to load post, repair, or close bridges
  • Work with design and construction personnel to determine new structures to be added to the National Bridge Inventory
  • Determine extent of deterioration as the basis for planning bridge replacement and rehabilitation programs.
  • Prepare and analyze summaries of bridge inspection data
  • Monitor inspection contract work authorization performance; evaluate deliverables; review billing documentation; monitor the consultant compliance with the terms of the contract; and evaluate the consultants’ performance
  • Perform NSTM inspections (Bridge Division Bridge Inspection Specialist)
  • Maintain bridge inspection and diving equipment
  • Research plan sets for use in underwater, NSTM, complex feature, and routine bridge inspections (Bridge Division Bridge Inspection Specialist)
  • Perform underwater bridge inspection requiring diving
  • Ensure compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards
  • Perform Quality Control reviews on the work performed by consultants and other TxDOT staff
  • Track and manage bridge maintenance and repairs for Critical Findings
  • Manage scour documentation and analysis

Other Bridge Inspection Specialists

These TxDOT engineering technicians perform many of the bridge inspection tasks within the division or a district under direct supervision of the Bridge Inspection Program Manager, the District Bridge Inspection Coordinator, or the District Bridge Engineer. Duties are identical to those of the Qualified Team Leaders but are generally performed more in a support role. After sufficient experience is gained and these Specialist become Qualified Team Leaders, they will then lead the work of other, less experienced staff.